squirrel removal, attic, chimneySouthern Flying Squirrel removal and control is a very hard task and should only be handled by professional animal removal companys, this is not a DIY task, now on to some vauable info:
Squirrels may be a valuable part of the ecosystem, but when they build their nests in houses, garages, or barns, they can make annoying pests of themselves. Structural damage, chewed wires, noise at night, and more all make getting rid of squirrels in your house a priority.
You can make your eradication efforts more effective and efficient, though, with just a bit of information about the southern flying squirrel’s habits and lifestyle. You can find a flying squirrel animal removal expert here.

Southern Flying Squirrel Habits

Southern flying squirrels are found in mixed forests in the eastern half of North America, from Canada to Florida, with isolated populations in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.
Their fur is a mix of grey and brown, with cream-colored underbodies; they have a flat tail and large black eyes. They are nocturnal, most active just after sunset and just before sunrise.
Southern flying squirrels have two litters per year. Births thus have two peaks, from February to May and from July to September. There is, however, some geographic variation in the timing of births.
Southern flying squirrels have been linked to cases of epidemic typhus in humans. Typhus spread by flying squirrels is known as "sylvatic typhus" and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented a total of 39 such cases in the U.S. from 1976 to 2001. The squirrel acts as host to the Rickettsia prowazekii bacteria and transmission to humans is believed to occur via lice or fleas.
Southern flying squirrels are omnivores and eat a wide range of foods, including nuts, acorns, seeds, berries, fruit, leaf buds, bark, eggs and young birds, young mice, insects, carrion, and fungus. They are especially fond of hickory nuts and acorns; one sure sign of the presence of this species is piles of gnawed hickory nuts at the base of large hickory trees.
Flying squirrels are considered to be threatened in some states in the US and have protected status; in other states they are abundant. Check with your state wildlife agency before setting out traps.

Dealing with Flying Squirrel Pest Problems

Squirrels quickly become habituated to visual or sound (including the ultrasonic ones) frightening devices and pay little attention to them after a couple of days.
Trees that overhang roofs or are close to telephone lines should be cut back to slow the movement of squirrels about the yard.
Because squirrels often travel on overhead telephone or power lines, and fence tops, they frequently find entrances to structures at about these heights. Screening or blocking all potential entrance sites such as small gaps under the eaves, overlapping roof sections, and knotholes, can help keep them out. If a small opening is found, they can enlarge it by gnawing. In the absence of an obvious entrance, they can gnaw and create an entrance into an attic. Sheet metal or 1/4-inch wire hardware cloth are suitable materials for closing entrances.
When closing entry routes, be sure you haven’t screened an animal inside the building. One way to test whether any squirrels are left is to plug the entrance with a loose wad of newspaper; if any remain inside they will remove the plug to get out.
Other exclusion tactics include:

  • tree trunks with 12" (or greater) aluminum flashing at least 6 feet off ground.
  • Screen attic vents from the outside with 1/4" hardware cloth to prevent entry
  • Cap all chimney flues with professionally manufactured stainless steel caps
  • We have more information and photos on our How to get rid of squirrels from my house page

    Trapping Southern Flying Squirrels

    The fact that traps are readily sold to the public often leads people to believe that they can just go out and trap animals. It’s often not that simple, though.
    Some squirrels are protected or endangered in some areas, and either cannot be trapped or require a permit for their removal. in some instances we will perform a squirrel exclusion.
    It is not legal, in almost all states, for nonprofessionals to trap, relocate, and release squirrels. Check the regulations posted by your state’s department of wildlife (or fish and game department), and you will see that it is probably illegal to do so if you are not a licensed wildlife control professional. If it is legal, you may be required to kill and dispose of the animal on your property at the time of capture, often under laws regarding the handling of an animal that could carry rabies or other diseases.
    If you do want to try trapping them on your own, here’s the lowdown on a few types of traps, and some pointers on how to use them.
    The single animal live cage trap is by far the most common type of trap. Cage traps are generally metal cages into which the squirrel is lured in by food. Near the back of the cage is a trip pan. When the squirrel steps on the pan, it triggers the trap door shut, and the animal is trapped inside, alive. The most commonly sold brand in the United States is the Havahart brand.
    Repeating live cage traps are mounted on the hole that the squirrels are using to enter and exit the house. most people complain of squirrel in walls If all alternative routes of escape are sealed off, the squirrels have no choice but to enter this trap on their way outside to get food and water. This trap has a one-way door that allows the squirrels into the trap, but not back out. These traps can hold several squirrels at once.
    Check the traps at least daily, or several times a day, so that you don’t leave an animal suffering in a cage for long. Don’t let your fingers enter the cage, or the squirrel may lunge and bite. If you do relocate the squirrel, it should be at least five to ten miles from the capture site.
    The one-way exclusion door may be the best method for removing squirrels from attics. The squirrels are able to push their way through the spring loaded one-way door and leave the attic, but then they can’t get back in. The only drawback is if the home has a lot of wood or is in a bad state of disrepair. In that case, the squirrels will simply chew their way back in elsewhere.
    The best way to get the squirrels is to set the traps on the roof, near the entry points. Traps set in the attic will not catch the squirrels. Squirrels do not enter traps in attics, ever, for whatever reason.
    If you are working on the roof, which is pretty much the only way to go for successful squirrel trapping, then there are serious safety concerns. I would never advocate an inexperienced person to work on a roof or with ladders.
    The most common reason for a squirrel to enter an attic is when a female squirrel needs a safe place to give birth and raise its babies. The babies, as they lay in a cluster in an attic, aren’t capable of entering traps. So when you do trap a squirrel, check for nipples! (Remember – don’t let your fingers enter the cage. Squirrels can lunge and bite quickly.) If you can see them, you’ve got babies up there, and they’ve got to be found and removed. If you’re not willing or able to locate and remove the babies, then release the squirrel (or hire a professional) so as not to leave orphaned young to decompose in your attic.
    Here’s how to find the squirrel nest in attic. The mother squirrel stashes them in a safe place, often down at the very tight edge of the attic, down in the soffit, or down a wall. Explore the whole attic. Find the built-up nest of insulation and debris, often near the edge of the attic near the roofline, and remove the young by hand. Of course, when in an attic, be mindful to walk only on the wooden beams, or you’ll fall through the ceiling. Be careful not to get insulation on your skin, and wear a HEPA filter mask to avoid breathing in airborne particles. Wear thick gloves; even baby squirrels can bite and claw. Put them in a pillowcase, and bring them out of the attic.

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